Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-08-20
SATURDAY, AUGUST go, 1881.
T0.day's Celebration at Santa
Barbara-Thc Future.

To.day,s Celebration at santa
Barbara-Thc Future.
To-day the people of Santa Barbara
will celebrate the advent of the Coast
Line of the Southern Pacific Railway
into their beautiful burg. This event
. is Of no small importance, not only to
that exquisite spot, but to the whole
of California Santa Barbara without
railways, is one of the most beautiful
places on the American continent;
but, in addition to its beauty, it has
climate and other attractions of an ex-
ceptionally thorough character. The
day is not far distant when Ameri-
cans will be ashamed to confess that
they have sought Nice and Mentone
for the recovery of their health, when,
far beyond the efficacy of any resort
of the Riviera, or OF the African Coast
of the Mediterranean, they have such
incompatible resorts by the brine of
the broad Pacific basin. But, un-
paralleled as are the climatic claims
of this, one of the distinctive sani-
tariums of the region known as South
California, Santa Barbara is really in
dependent of the valetudinary class.
She is now on the highway of what
will be the greatest travelled trans
continental route not only in the
United States, but in America. Santa
jBarbareiios celebrate to-day the ad-
vent of the iron horse within its dainty
limits, which have been hitherto conse-
Grated to the valetudinary. But then
this is merely a step in the pro-
gramme which will be fruitful of good
things for South California. Coming
down from the north, the same pow
erful railway company, which has
pushed its road northward to Santa
Barbara, is steadily extending its road
southwark from San Luis Obispo. 1t
s. is not too much to expect that the
junction will be made somewhere near
the Santa Barbara nothern line about
Christmas next. Then will begin in
earnest new transcontinental and
state railway dispensation. To
begin with, the line between Los An
geles and San Francisco will have
been shortened fully one hundred and
fifty miles over the present route.
The existing line between these two
cities is a devious and unsatisfactory
one, not only as to length, but as to
the conveniences of travel. To begin
with, on the present line of the South
ern Pacific Railway, not a mile is
made south from San Francisco until
Lathrop station has been reached. If
our recollection of distances holds
good, this is of itself sacrifice
of about ninety-six miles. The
other sinuosities of the road
are good for enough to make
up the figure to one hundred and fifty
miles of distance discrimination. But
the added distance by no means tells
the whole story of the discrepancies
and inconveniencies under which We
have labored under the old line OF
travel. The route of the Southern
Pacific has lain in the most intensely
heated sections of California, outside
of the Mojave and Colorado deserts.
In the summer months it has been a
weariness of the flesh TO traverse
superheated expanses, which have
tested to the utmost the endurance of
the human frame.
A delightful deliverance is at hand
through the medium of the coast road.
The distance, shortened fully one hun
dred and fifty miles, tells only part
of the story. The new line will admit OF
reducing the time schedule between
Los Angeles and San Francisco to
fifteen hours, as against the twenty
two, which is the present standard.
In addition, the new line will run
through remarkably picturesque
country. Over great stretches the
traveller will be refreshed by the ozone
and iodine laden breezes of the Pacific
ocean.
Santa Barbara stands midway on
this new transcontinental road which,
during nine months of the year, will
attract more travel than all the other
transcontinental roads put together.
Her advantage from the new depart
ure will only be secondary to that of
Los Angeles, which has two strings to
her bow. Under the circumstances,
the HERALD not only cordially con-
graduates her on the advent of the
long promised and now realized rail
way connection, which puts Santa
Barbara in rail connection with the
whole American continent, but extends
its Fluctuations on the good which is
shortly to come. She will celebrate
to-day what is in truth but forerun-
ner Of movement Of traffic and pass